After the Aftermath
by portlandborn
Summary: Takes place during the episode New Captain and through The Funeral, showing the off screen issues and musings of Jake and Amy and how they dealt with hooking up only to lose each other.


_**The following is a flashback to when Amy and Jake first get together and then she breaks it off after Dozerman dies. I borrowed and filled in with lines from the actual episodes New Captain and The Funeral.**_

"Jake, what the hell is wrong with you?" Rosa was standing next to his desk glaring down at him in her normal terrifying manner.

"Nothings wrong, I'm fine." Even as he said it, it felt weak and like an obvious lie.

"Yeah right, I said your name like four times and you've been at your desk doing paperwork, that's not like you. What's wrong, don't lie."

"Diaz, what the hell, you get hella pissy if I ask you personal stuff."

"True, but I still appreciate it when I need it, so, what the hell is happening? Trouble with Amy, already?"

Jake finally looked up at her, "Keep it down, Rosa, but yeah, she's working in the evidence room. She felt like our relationship went off the rails, y'know, killing Dozerman and pissing off Terry. We said it wouldn't interfere with our jobs, and it did."

Rosa bent over and got uncomfortably close to Jakes's face, "Don't give up, Jake, you both like each other, this crap happens, to some people, it's crazy, but it happens. You two make sense together, your lack of putting thought into things and her overthinking everything, it works. I hope you can get back together, good luck."

As Rosa left Jake collapsed into his folded arm on his desk. "Peralta, a word." Jake looked up and saw Terry's hulking frame beside him.

"Okay, sure, Terry." Jake stood up and followed Terry into the once again vacant captain's office. As Jake entered he slumped into a chair on the back wall, Terry closed the door and the blinds and took a long look at Jake before speaking.

"Terry still thinks you shouldn't have made out at work, but I also know that you two want to be together and you shouldn't let that get in the way."

Jake shook his head without looking at Terry, "no, she wants to call it off. I had one shot and I blew it. It sucks, Terry, but it is what it is."

"C'mon, Jake, don't be like that, you can fix things," Terry nearly pleaded as he patted Jake's shoulder.

"Terry, she broke it off. She wanted to keep things light and breezy and not have them affect our jobs, and we failed at that, miserably. I obviously like her, a lot, and have…okay, I'm in love with her, there, but I can't change what happened."

Terry stuffed his massive frame into the chair next to Jake, "No, but you can try again."

Jake closed his eyes as he slumped further in his chair, "she doesn't want that Terry. She didn't want to date cops anymore, but I somehow got her to try, and it pooped out, really quickly."

Terry put his hand on Jake's shoulder, "Terry gets it, love is scary, and when you put it out there and it is rejected or doesn't work, it hurts. It hurts bad."

"Yeah, this is worse than Sophia, with Sophia I just wanted to try again because I knew what I did wrong and we were similar in a lot of ways, but with Amy, she is so great and pretty, and smart, and good at everything but cooking and dancing. I wanted this for so long, then we have one incredible night together and now today, gone."

"Jake, people will blame you, but people are stupid. The ME said with Dozerman's heart issue, it was just a matter of time. He said he told Dozerman he should take it easy, no stress, so instead Dozerman stressed everyone out with his Dozerpads and extreme invasions in trust and privacy."

"Well, Terrence, Amy feels the blame, hard to argue, we sleep together, then make out at work, kill a man, get reprimanded and now I get dumped."

"What are you doing tonight? I would come over, but Sharon and I have an art class together, you could come with us?"

Jake offered a slight grin at the invite, "Thanks, Terry, but Charles already said he and I are going to my place and then out to eat. He was actually pretty normal about everything. I'll eat my sorrows away."

"Careful with that Jake, Terry used to do that and was twice the man he is now for it. If you need anything, call me, okay?"

"Okay, thanks, Terry. I still feel terrible, but at least I know people have my back."

Amy had locked the evidence room and posted a sign letting everyone know they could access it after she left today. She had all her work in neat piles, two laptops open to maximize efficiency, and a system, but none of it worked or was being used. Amy sat next to a pile of Kleenex on the floor. She glanced at her phone as it buzzed, a text from Jake.

 _Sorry things turned out like this, best date ever. thx & sorry_

Amy sighed deeply and sadly, this is not what she wanted, but she had worked too hard and faced too many obstacles to have her career derailed by a work relationship. If it had been anyone else, it would have been easy, but of course, it had to be with Jake, the detective she did the best work with, the one detective who could push her to her best, the one detective who knew her better than anyone else. Dating hadn't worked but calling things off would be a disaster as well, and less fun. She almost allowed herself to smile as she thought about Jake's shock when four drink Amy basically mocked him for trying to follow her rule about no sex yet.

And the sex, it had been wild, athletic at times, but it had also been tender and felt like it meant something. She blew her nose again and started to clean up around her, it would be time to go home soon and she had so much to process. Everything was made worse by the fact that Holt wasn't around either. She started to talk to herself quietly to try and get herself back to reality.

"So, Amy, let's sum up, you've lost your mentor, your best partner, your best friend, your boyfriend, and your sounding board, not the end of the world, it just sucks and you're alone and aren't with the man who would love you no matter what. No big deal. Being alone and miserable as you watch him eventually move on, how great will that be?"

Amy picked her phone and sent out some texts, first to Jake, _Don't blame yourself. Things were messed up, it was fun. Thanks_ She felt terrible for that text, but she had no idea what else she could possibly say or do. She then texted Kylie.

 _So sad, I had to break off things with Jake, already. He was so sweet, but work has to come first. Can you hang out after work today?_

 _Sorry, I'm having dinner with Tom's parents. Hang in there, I know you liked him, but he's immature, right?_

Amy couldn't write back, she knew if she did she would defend Jake and end up making herself cry as she listed his many good qualities. She put her phone in her pocket, stood up and gathered everything together. As she left the evidence room and made her way back to her desk, Jake was gone, she could see his head just sticking up enough to see from the chairs in the captain's office.

"Amy," she turned to see Terry, she wasn't sure if he was already near of she had been staring at Jake. "I know things are rough, but they'll get better. Just don't make the mistake of letting work be your boss, you are the boss of your work. You made one mistake, you made out at work, you a great cop and the most professional one here, especially now that Holt has gone. Have a good night and take care."

Amy drove home, she didn't even bother to turn on the radio, she just felt spent, no energy, nothing but a lot on her mind. As she entered her apartment, she took her phone out and looked at it. She wanted to talk to someone about everything, so much had happened and she needed a good listener and someone who understood her. She exited out of her texts and saw a picture she had taken of her and Jake on the date, they were so happy, both of them smiling huge genuine smiles. The date had started awkwardly to be sure, but in the end, they just felt right together. Amy had only hooked up on the first date once before, and that was very different, this time it was familiar, she knew Jake, she knew she had deep feelings for him. She felt so confused, but then she remembered Terry's words about work and wanted to call him, but that's not who she talked to about these things, it was always Jake.

Jake got to his apartment to find Charles already there sitting on the floor, "Jake, my friend, my idol, how are you?"

Jake appreciated Charles' restraint, he knew he was trying, he also knew it wouldn't last once Jake explained everything, but Jake felt like talking about it, it made no sense to him and he didn't want it to be over. His brain still struggled, he had been so utterly happy, he kissed Amy, then she agreed to date him, then a proper date, and then they slept together, and it was crazy good, the best, but he would never tell her that. Then one crazy ass captain with a bad heart and it was over quicker than it began. He didn't know how he would deal with it. It sucked when he liked her before, but now, now that he had been with her and felt her soft lips, heard her whisper his name, how could he face the same pathetic life?

Jake and Charles entered the apartment, Charles started to pace while Jake flopped down on his bed. "So what happened, Jake? I want details so we can fix this."

"Charles, she said it wasn't working, it was interfering with work and it had killed a man, and those aren't exaggerations, that's exactly what happened."

"No, no, no, no. This is not how you and Amy are supposed to end. You're supposed to grow old and die holding each other as your cruise ship slowly takes on water."

Jake was tired of talking, "What do you want me say? We tried really hard, we made rules. We kept it light and breezy."

Charles charged over and hit Jake on the arm, hard. "Light and breezy, light and breezy? Light and breezy is how you describe a linen pants suit, not a relationship you care about."

Jake sighed, "We were just being cautious."

Charles turned and hit Jake again, hard, again. "Cautious? You guys started with one foot out the door. That's what doomed you, not the universe."

Jake nodded sadly, "Actually, that makes a lot of sense."

Charles turned around and hit him again. "Ow! I was agreeing with you."

Jake and Charles continued talking, Charles told Jake he needed to fight for her and to tell her how he felt, that he should go to her door and tell her, and to take shampoo, because Charles was obsessed with that and believed that washing a woman's hair was the most romantic gesture. Jake disagreed the hair thing but agreed with him on fighting for Amy.

Jake got up to leave, Charles looked like he might wet himself he was so excited. Jake opened the door and there on the other side was Amy about to knock. Both of them shouted and jumped back, startled.

"Ahh, sorry," Amy said as she looked at Jake and couldn't help but smile a bit.

"It's okay."

"I was at home, and I really wanted someone to talk to, about us, and Dozerman and Holt being gone, and then I realized that the only person I want to talk about that stuff with is you. So screw just being colleagues, and screw just being light and breezy, right?"

Jake sighed deeply and smiled up at her, "definitely." The both had nearly moronic grins on their faces as the looked at each other having worked through this, then Charles came up and put a hand on each of them.

"Guys, we did it. We really did it."

Amy got a semi terrified look on her face, "Oh, Charles is here."

Jake was also regretting that, "big time."

Jake kicked Charles out who couldn't stop smiling and whistling, Amy was sitting on the bed, Jake went over and sat next to her. "I was on my way to tell you I didn't want to be just colleagues, that I just wanted you, nothing else, just you."

Amy smiled, "really? Not just trying to butter me up."

Jake shook his head, "Nope, that's why I opened the door before you even knocked. I don't think I could have survived, liking you was hard enough, but then being with you to lose you, that would have been way too much to deal with every day."

Amy kissed him, softly, yet full of desire, Jake pulled her closer and returned the kiss as the opened their mouths and the kiss became deeper and more passionate. They continued like that for a few minutes when Amy stopped.

"Is something wrong?" Jake didn't think anything was wrong, but he didn't know why she quit either.

"No, I'm just hungry and want to talk, and then as we kissed, it hit me. I have a boyfriend, let's go out and talk and eat and see what happens after that."

Jake smiled, again, hugely, "That's awesome, let's do it. Where would the girlfriend like to go?"

Amy looked pensive while still smiling, "let's see, there's a great little Italian place a mile or so from here, not to far, but out of the sketchy restaurant range."

"Good call, I'm pretty sure I've gotten sick off the food around here several times."

As they ate dinner at the restaurant, the conversation flowed freely and naturally, both smiling and laughing. This is how Jake thought the first date would feel, but now that the awkwardness of the date, sleeping together, and almost breaking up had happened, they both felt free and happy. Jake told her about how her being with Teddy led to him solving way more cases because he couldn't be alone.

Amy told him how she sort of did the same thing after she broke up with Teddy and before Sophia broke up with Jake. They talked for a half an hour at the restaurant after eating, the Amy suggested that he get some things from his house and spend the night at hers, he did not argue, in fact Amy didn't think she had ever seen him move so fast while not working on a case or competing against her.

As they entered Amy's apartment, Jake was all smiles. "Why so smiley, Jake, thinking of making comments about my octogenarian pad, my granny party pad?"

Jake shook his head vigorously, "hell no, I don't have to tease you as much anymore, I did a lot of that for attention, and now I think I have your attention."

Amy smiled coyly, "yeah you do, plus, you don't want to screw up and get in trouble before things happen."

"Damn your hot when you're spot on."

They both expected the next day to a great day, and in a perfect world, or world where douchebags who shouldn't be in charge of people are actually monitored, that would be true, but that was not the case, so the Vulture became their captain. He started by insulting them and saying he would be much worse now, Jake was furious. They endured a few days of the Vulture's terrible management and treatment, but Jake was at his end. That night, they were at Jake's place talking about what the next day would be like. Jake was only in his boxers and Amy was wearing a large t-shirt of Jake's.

"Ames, I can't stand that guy, he's the actual worst, and we just had Dozerman."

"I know, and he hates us, the two of us in particular, I mean I turned him down a lot and then turned a job down with him, and then you tear gassed his office, which was brilliant, but yeah, he hates us."

"I know, I think I know what we have to do, what I have to do, but I don't want to, but I have to."

"What? Not kill him I hope, that would be really hard to explain."

"No, worse, I need to befriend him and be a douche with the douche."

"I think I just threw up in my mouth, that's terrible, but it makes perfect sense. He hates us, so we make him think you are like him so he lays off of us."

The next day, the plan did not go well. Scully had butt dialed the Vulture and he heard Jake explain to others how he intended to befriend the douche. The vulture then threatened Jake and told him he and Santiago had to break up, Jake argued and was then told that the Vulture would bust him back down to beat cop.

Amy was furious and in the end they decided to record the Vulture threatening them, but that backfired and the Vulture had Amy's phone with the evidence and was still going to demote Jake if he didn't break up with Amy.

After Dozerman's funeral, Amy was depressed, Jake tried to cheer her up and tell her they could do it, that the relationship was worth it, Amy snapped, "Jake, this is a six day relationship, we don't know what this is."

Jake was hopeful when Captain Holt got up to give a speech, but he was depressing and wasted. When Holt finished, Jake realized this was his chance, he ran up and took the mic.

"Thank you, sir. I'll take it from here. Very poetic. If I might offer a counter-toast of sorts. Captain Dozerman and I, we weren't together for very long. In fact, as coworkers, our relationship was only six days. But that's not nothing. It was long enough for me to know that we had something special. And sure, there may be obstacles. Him having passed away, for example. But I'm not giving up on us. And I don't care if I get demoted. I just care about being with you... Captain Dozerman, an adult man who has passed into the nether world." Amy had gotten up from the table before his speech was over and left right after he finished.

Jake was desperate, he knew he couldn't lose her, he just couldn't. He ran back to the precinct and saw Amy. "Thought I might find you here. So not a big fan of my speech, huh?"

Amy turned and gave him a sad smile, "No, I loved it. I mean, I wish it hadn't been at a wake. And I wish you hadn't kept referring to me as your dead boss."

"Yeah, it pretty much sucked butt but still was somehow the best of the three toasts. Hmm. Look, I don't want to break up. But I don't want to get demoted either. I just don't know what to do. I'm all out of plans." They looked at each other hopeful that something good would happen when they were interrupted.

"I have one. Holt saves your ass. Captain. I was moved by your speech, Peralta."

"Thank you, sir. That's very nice of you to say."

The syntax was problematic. Less nice. And your vocabulary is a true indictment of the public school system."

Jake shook his head slowly, "Seems like you're just slamming me now."

"But the fact that you're not willing to give up in the face of adversity is inspiring. I love the Nine-Nine, and I'm not gonna turn my back on the squad. So I fixed your problem with the Vulture."

"Really?"

"I may just be a guy in PR. But what does the Vulture love more than anything?"

Jake thought, then blurted out, "Garbage Pail Kids?"

"No. Publicity. Captain Pembroke, how would you like your face on the NYPD website? Really? Yes! Yes! In exchange for media attention, the Vulture will not bust you down or stand in the way of you two dating."

Jake was touched, "Sir, I don't know how to thank you."

"Anything for the Nine-Nine."

Amy smiled, "Thank you, sir." She then whispered to Jake, "He totally approves of us."

That night, they were at Amy's apartment, sprawled out on the couch. "Hey, Ames."

"What," she took her head from rest on his chest and looked up at him.

"This past week has been awesome."

"For me too."

"But it also sucked, everything seemed against us and we almost split up twice. I can't handle that. I want to be in for reals, I really, really, like you and can't stand to think I could lose you so easily."

Amy propped herself up a bit to look at him, "I know. That did suck. This is just tricky, Jake, this is our job as well, and you know how I feel about my job, but I agree. I promise, we are good, no more bailing, until you do something really crazy or inappropriate." She was smiling now, but he looked deep in thought.

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to better, because I meant it, I'm in it for realz."


End file.
